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cricket Shoaib Malik has cleared his first hurdle as national skipper without too much fuss, and has made a good beginning by all standards. The 2-1 scoreline against the team that only last month figured in the World Cup final is certainly something that has helped lift the spirits, specially in the wake of Pakistan's demoralising exit from the game's showpiece event in the West Indies. Something
to cheer about for Pakistan cricket fans At last cricket-lovers in Pakistan have something to cheer about after witnessing one controversy unfold after the other. The team which was selected for the series against Sri Lanka was by no means an ideal one, but in the end Pakistan emerged victorious amid some unpleasant moments as vice-captain Muhammad Asif was reprimanded by match referee Javagal Srinath for violating the ICC Code of Conduct. Some
respectability returns after travails of World Cup Finally Pakistan's demoralised side has found some respectibility after beating World Cup finalists Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series by 2-1 in Abu Dhabi last week. cricket At last the nation has come to know about the 'causes' of the Pakistan cricket team's disgraceful exit from the recent World Cup in the Caribbean as the Performance Evaluation Committee (PEC) submitted its report after a "thorough" investigation into the debacle. Hang on tight
because here comes the evaluation Good going Mr Talat Ali. Tell us something that we don't know It is now the past that we feared would affect our cricket team's future so much. Pakistan's miserable World Cup campaign is now a part of the history which people don't even bring into consideration now as they are tired of discussing that pathetic and unlikely journey which the team made to the Caribbean and returned empty-handed. Victory at last
as the desert is on fire again! Cricket has always shone in the desert. Right from its inception in Sharjah, when the pioneering Abdul Rahman Bukhatir introduced this very discipline of sports in the desert way back in 1981, down to cricket in Abu Dhabi almost all encounters have produced exciting moments that have gone into the annals of the game.
Muhammad Yousuf did not have a prolific series although on batting-friendly tracks he had an excellent opportunity to score some runs. Surprisingly, he could not Shoaib Malik has cleared his first hurdle as national skipper without too much fuss, and has made a good beginning by all standards. The 2-1 scoreline against the team that only last month figured in the World Cup final is certainly something that has helped lift the spirits, specially in the wake of Pakistan's demoralising exit from the game's showpiece event in the West Indies. Had Pakistan not opted to
go in with a new-look side in the last game -- where Blooding young players is an essential requirement that cannot be overlooked and has to go on in order to maintain a balanced outfit and to discourage complacency from setting in. To achieve that one needs to identify and create proper opportunities regularly to test the upcoming talent. But this exercise should not be conducted at the expense of those players who're themselves returning to top-notch cricket after lay-offs. Although Pakistan had clinched the rubber after winning the second game, there was no need to make changes on such a large scale just to give all players a chance. The absence of Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir, and Abdul Razzaq did make a lot of difference in the last game. We all know Pakistan's batting is not their forte, and by resting the three -- of whom two are genuine all-rounders -- the team management indulged in unnecessary adventure that eventually backfired and cost Pakistan the match. Abdul Razzaq had missed the World Cup, and was thus playing after staying away from the field for almost three months. He looked out of sorts and was clearly struggling to regain his form. The best way to build his confidence would have been to give him a long and uninterrupted run that would have helped him prepare himself for the tough season that awaits Pakistan. Similarly, Muhammad Sami and Umar Gul's absence did not help either as Muhammad Asif looked rusty and did not bowl with a lot of fire. But that was understandable considering the fact that he, too, had returned after an injury-enforced holiday. He gave away too many runs and lacked control over the ball that used to be his hallmark. But in all probability he will get better as he gets more chances to bowl. The conditions in the UAE capital did not have anything for bowlers anyway. Ironically, debutants Najaf Shah and Fawad Alam had a terrible game -- something they would not like to remember for the rest of their lives. All-rounder Fawad did not get a chance to bowl, and went for a first-ball duck when he batted. Najaf gave away 59 runs without getting a wicket. But both are proven performers at domestic level and are likely to get their chances in due course of time. The Pakistan team and selectors, however, deserve full credit for this much-needed triumph that could not have arrived at a better time. The loss in Abu Dhabi must have come as a sickening blow to the Sri Lankans, who were on the moon following their marvelous show in the Caribbean. They badly missed the experienced trio of Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Kumar Sangakkara, but still Mahela Jayawardene had a pretty strong outfit at his disposal to fight with. One must bear in mind that Pakistan, too, missed the services of recently-retired skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Shoaib Akhtar. And, above all, they were being led by a pretty young captain who had no experience of the job at this level. The opening problem still exists, but three games aren't enough for making a fair judgment. The selectors need to persist with Imran Nazir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Hafeez. Sooner or later they are bound to deliver. All of them are young, highly-talented, and enthusiastic. The two things they probably need are self-belief and the captain and selectors' confidence. They are among the best this country has for the job. Anybody who has seen them playing would not argue with that, but talent alone is not enough. One needs to translate his potential into runs to make a strong claim for a spot on the national team. Pakistan's middle-order sans Inzamam and Younis appeared vulnerable, but with Yasir Hameed getting some runs against the Sri Lankans prospects look bright and encouraging. In Abu Dhabi, the middle-order did not fire well enough with no batsman getting good scores on a consistent basis. Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Malik all played one good innings each. It will be interesting to see who is left out when Younis returns to the team. Yasir's runs in Abu Dhabi will come in handy when the selectors will sit down to pick the team for the coming assignments. Muhammad Yousuf did not have a prolific series although on batting-friendly tracks he had an excellent opportunity to score some runs. Surprisingly, he could not. But that should not worry anybody as he's a class player who knows his trade well. He's too good a player to remain out of form for too long. For the last two years, he is Pakistan's premier batsman and his contribution in Test as well as one-day cricket will form the basis for the team's progress in the years to come. With Sami, Umar Gul, Asif and Rao Iftikhar Anjum all fit and raring to go Pakistan's pace reserves seem promising. Shoaib Akhtar and Shabbir Ahmed's return will pave the way for a healthy competition among them. Overall it was an impressive performance by Pakistan against a very organised and strong unit. Malik seems to have a cool head over his shoulders, and more importantly he enjoys the support of the players. Pakistan's future engagements include series against South Africa, Australia, and India -- all very tough calls. Leading a team against these nations is no joke. It's too early to make any prediction about Malik's credentials as captain. Let us hope Pakistan make an early and quick recovery under him.
Something to cheer about for Pakistan cricket fans There was no need to replace five players in one go as we all know that the team is going through a rebuilding phase and barring some senior players almost all others are trying hard to cement their places At last cricket-lovers in Pakistan have something to cheer about after witnessing one controversy unfold after the other. The team which was selected for the series against Sri Lanka was by no means an ideal one, but in the end Pakistan emerged victorious amid some unpleasant moments as vice-captain Muhammad Asif was reprimanded by match referee Javagal Srinath for violating the ICC Code of Conduct. Asif should not indulge in unnecessary acts as he has the potential to bring that era back along with his companions when we used to see the collapse of the opponents' batting line-up by our two Sultans of Swing Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. The Sri Lankans were under the impression that after their first-round exit which Pakistan suffered during World Cup, they will not be able to offer any serious challenge to Jayawardene's men. Maybe that was the reason they allowed three of their superstars to fulfill their county commitments, but once again Pakistan proved that they are the most unpredictable team in world cricket as they thrashed their opponents quite easily, who played splendidly during the World Cup, in the series which was played in the UAE capital. But in the end too much experimentation cost Pakistan the third match. There was no need to replace five players in one go as we all know that the team is going through a rebuilding phase and barring some senior players and captain Shoaib Malik almost all the players are trying hard to cement their places. So what was the point in indulging in too much experimentation. Anyhow captain Shoaib Malik deserves words of praise as he is leading a team which is plagued by too many problems and one that requires careful handling. He will also have to show great amount of patience and tolerance with senior players and the selection committee while implementing his decisions in team matters. Another thing which requires a great deal of attention from the PCB top brass is that they must stop criticising Inzamam-ul-Haq as this is of no use. The World Cup is over and Inzamam has resigned from captaincy, but the PCB officials are making desperate attempt to make Inzamam a scapegoat and he alone be held responsible for World Cup debacle. This is not fair as they seem to settling old personal scores, and this not the way we should treat our national hero who helped Pakistan won the 1992 World Cup and played some of the finest innings the world of cricket has ever witnessed. But the PCB committee, which was formed to identify the actual reasons behind the World Cup fiasco, is doing nothing except blaming Inzamam. If Inzamam was a dictator and did not give importance to their suggestions why they were silent till today? Were they waiting for the right time? They are just making an attempt to tarnish Inzi's image and by defaming him they have made a laughing stock of Pakistan cricket in world community and the youngsters who have started playing cricket by watching our national heroes in action would get frustrated as we have made our national heroes controversial figures one after another. Be sincere with Pakistan and its cricket. Inzamam has taken the entire responsibility and we should respect his achievements and services which he has rendered not only as a player but skipper. Take lesson from your neighboring country. When their team left for the World Cup there was a lot of fanfare, but when they met the same fate as we did they very tactfully played down the whole affair and their team is now enjoying their cricket putting World Cup miseries behind them. But here is a totally changed scenario where a person like Inzamam is confronting the conspiracies hatched against him at the behest of someone who will love to see once again the burning of Inzamam's effigies across the country. The series which Pakistan clinched 2-1 saw a variety of things. Prolific batsman Muhammad Yousuf could gather only 54 runs in three outings while the fans back home were expecting a scintillating performance from the bearded maestro in the absence of Inzamam and Younis Khan. Abdul Razzaq was off-colour both with the bat and ball and if we closely observe his body language during the series it is evident that he distanced himself from the squad. He better knows the reasons for this, but one can hope and pray that this would not last for long as he is a worthy player and it will be a great loss if he does not find any sort of enthusiasm and joy while representing his country. But Shahid Afridi took advantage of this opportunity as he had played just one match in the World Cup against Zimbabwe because he was under suspension. He played a heart-warming knock in the first one-dayer, but kept his reputation of being inconsistent intact. The batting line-up put up an average show including skipper Shoaib Malik, while in the bowling department Rao Iftikhar bowled with sheer aggression claiming three top-order scalps in the final one-dayer. Other bowlers turned up mixed performances but one thing which is of big concern. Muhammad Asif is spearheading the Pakistan pace attack and has become vice-captain. One was of the view that this youngster will bowl with his heart out but he could manage just four wickets giving away 161 runs from his quota of 30 overs in the series. But wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal showed some of his touch with the bat by scoring 51 and 38 in the initial two ODIs, but it was the duo of Fawad Alam and Najaf Shah who failed to make an impact despite the high hopes of cricket pundits. But guys here is a piece of advice for you: don't lose heart, and never take too much pressure of opponents as the upcoming assignment of Pakistani team requires great amount of concentration, dedication, hardwork and mental and physical fitness to reach the ultimate goal of dethroning the Australians as the No.1 team. The Pakistan team has completed its first assignment quite successfully, but one thing which the board, selection committee and the boys should be wary of is that they should not get overjoyed and complacent. Keep focus on coming assignment/training in the off season as the coming year of international cricket is bringing a lot of challenges and we do hope that our chief selector will be able to give the same statement like the one which we have in the national dailies after the conclusion of South African rubber.
Some respectability returns after travails of World Cup Apart from all good work and the weaknesses it was a reasonable performance by the Pakistan team, but it was not a real test for the new captain and the team By Khurram Mahmood Finally Pakistan's demoralised side has found some respectibility after beating World Cup finalists Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series by 2-1 in Abu Dhabi last week. After being eliminated in
the first round of the World Cup two months back, the Under a new captain, the young Pakistan team performed satisfactorily by winning the first two games, but in the third match Pakistan showed their usual inconsistency and lost the match by 115 runs, but won the series by 2-1. Pakistan rested their experienced players in the third ODI and the inexperienced young players given a chance to show their skills failed to capitalise on the opportunity. Left-arm medium-fast bowler Najaf Shah and Fawad Alam, an extremely useful batsman and left-arm slow orthodox bowler, made their debut in the third One-day International. Najaf Shah failed to take his first international wicket after conceding 59 runs but overall he bowled impressively. Fawad Alam's bowling ability was not tested by his skipper while in batting he got a golden duck on his debut, but only one match can't be enough to judge the talent of any youngster. They should get more chances in the future so that a strong backup side can be prepared to replace their seniors when required. No doubt the joint Man of the Series Shahid Afridi played a vital role for the Pakistan series win. In the first match his match winning knock of 73 give Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the series. In the second game he failed to repeat his batting performance but his bowling played an important role for a second Pakistan victory. But after having been around for 12 years and being experienced enough he should show more responsibility in the batting and shouldn't try to hit every ball on public demand. He can fulfill the public demand on a flat pitch like Abu Dhabi or Sharjah where ball does not swing sufficiently but where the conditions do not favour the batsmen he can be in trouble as he has been in the past. Two areas need more attention for the Pakistan team, the first is fielding, availing half chances and direct hits to the stumps make a vital difference in modern cricket. One more problem which is being faced mostly by all Pakistan batsman is playing a pull shot. The weakness was also exposed in the last World Cup when regularly batsmen tried to play pull shots on short pitched deliveries and throw their wickets easily. Chasing outside the off stump deliveries and trying to pull every short ball without checking their length and speed are the major problems for both senior and junior batsmen. These problems are exposed against each opposition and a sensible captain and bowler now know how to trap Pakistani batsman. Apart from all good work and the weaknesses it was a reasonable performance by the Pakistan team, but it was not a real test for the new captain and the team. No doubt Sri Lanka was the finalist of the last World Cup but against Pakistan they rested their key players like Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Kumar Sangakkara, Russel Arnold etc. Sri Lanka provided a chance to their youngsters to show their skill. But their performance proved that there is no alternate for experience, specially in the bowling department without Murali and Vaas they looked very ordinary except in the last match. Pakistan's actual test will be in the home series against South Africa and Australia later this year and on the Indian tour early next year. But now the management and skipper have enough time to make plans separately against each opponent according to their strength. Against South Africa and Australia spinners can played a decisive role for Pakistan. In the presence of Danish Kaneria, Abdul Rehman, Shahid Afridi and others Pakistan have an advantage against South Africa. If the conditions favour the spinners they can win the series for Pakistan. Pakistan's main striker Muhammad Asif received an official warning from the match referee Javagal Srinath for misconduct during the second ODI. Asif showed an aggressive reaction after dismissing Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, his over response was noted by the field umpires and spectators on the screen. He was found guilty of violating the ICC conduct rule C1. Asif accepted the charges and promised to keep the sportsmen sprit in the future. If he was found responsible of the same offence within the next 12 months, the penalty will become a Level 2 offence. Normally fast bowlers do show their aggression during matches, but Muhammad Asif who was appointed vice-captain recently, should be more responsible and his behaviour should be an example for the other team members. Sri Lanka gave a jubilant farewell to their coach Tom Moody who has resigned from his job and is going back to Australia. But in a short term of around two years Tom Moody prepared a Sri Lankan side who can challenge any side in the world. In the three-match series Mahela Jayawardene was the highest run-getter with 162 runs at an average of 54 with the help of two fifties. From Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik scored 117 runs averaging 58.50 with the help of one fifty. In the bowling department Farveez Maharoof took six wickets at an average of 25.83 while Umar Gul was the most successful bowler from Pakistan with five scalps at an average of 19.80. No century was scored in the series from any side. The
writer works in the art department at 'The News on Sunday' in Karachi khurrams87@yahoo.com Pakistan-Sri
Lanka Cricket Series 2007 Averages Pakistan Batting averages Player Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Shahid Afridi 2 2 1 74 73* 74.00 189.74 0 1 Shoaib Malik 3 3 1 117 79* 58.50 90.00 0 1 Kamran Akmal 3 3 1 91 51* 45.50 91.00 0 1 Salman Butt 3 3 0 110 74 36.66 69.62 0 1 Mohammad Hafeez 1 1 0 34 34 34.00 79.06 0 0 Imran Nazir 2 2 0 55 38 27.50 144.73 0 0 Yasir Hameed 3 3 0 82 50 27.33 75.92 0 1 Mohammad Sami 2 1 0 22 22 22.00 183.33 0 0 Mohammad Yousuf 3 3 0 54 37 18.00 68.35 0 0 Rao Iftikhar 1 1 0 18 18 18.00 48.64 0 0 Abdul Razzaq 2 1 0 16 16 16.00 64.00 0 0 Abdul Rehman 1 1 0 10 10 10.00 24.39 0 0 Mohammad Asif 3 2 1 8 5* 8.00 88.88 0 0 Fawad Alam 1 1 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0 0 Najaf Shah 1 1 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0 0 Umar Gul 2 1 1 0 0* – – 0 0 Bowling averages Player Mat Overs Mdns Runs Wkts BBI Ave Econ SR 4w Ct St Shahid Afridi 2 20.0 0 80 3 3/37 26.66 4.00 40.0 0 0 0 Abdul Rehman 1 10.0 0 44 1 1/44 44.00 4.40 60.0 0 0 0 Shoaib Malik 3 10.0 0 46 1 1/46 46.00 4.60 60.0 0 0 0 Mohammad Sami 2 16.0 1 76 3 2/27 25.33 4.75 32.0 0 0 0 Abdul Razzaq 2 10.0 0 52 1 1/52 52.00 5.20 60.0 0 1 0 Rao Iftikhar 1 10.0 0 53 3 3/53 17.66 5.30 20.0 0 0 0 Mohammad Asif 3 30.0 2 161 4 2/59 40.25 5.36 45.0 0 0 0 Mohammad Hafeez 1 10.0 0 55 2 2/55 27.50 5.50 30.0 0 1 0 Najaf Shah 1 10.0 1 59 0 - - 5.90 - 0 0 0 Umar Gul 2 13.5 0 99 5 3/61 19.80 7.15 16.6 0 1 0 SRI LANKA Batting averages Player Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 DPMD Jayawardene 3 3 0 162 83 54.00 91.52 0 2 MF Maharoof 3 3 1 96 69* 48.00 118.51 0 1 LPC Silva 3 3 0 132 64 44.00 72.13 0 1 WU Tharanga 3 3 0 105 48 35.00 82.67 0 0 TM Dilshan 3 3 1 52 28* 26.00 96.29 0 0 CK Kapugedera 3 3 0 63 28 21.00 73.25 0 0 ST Jayasuriya 2 2 0 20 19 10.00 54.05 0 0 CM Bandara 2 2 0 17 11 8.50 53.12 0 0 HAPW Jayawardene 3 3 0 23 20 7.66 65.71 0 0 SL Malinga 2 2 0 14 11 7.00 82.35 0 0 BSM Warnapura 1 1 0 5 5 5.00 35.71 0 0 KS Lokuarachchi 1 1 0 2 2 2.00 40.00 0 0 PDRL Perera 1 1 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0 0 CRD Fernando 2 1 1 2 2* - 50.00 0 0 MKDI Amerasinghe 1 1 1 1 1* - 50.00 0 0 Bowling averages Player Mat Overs Mdns Runs Wkts BBI Ave Econ SR 4w Ct St KS Lokuarachchi 1 10.0 1 32 2 2/32 16.00 3.20 30.0 0 0 0 MKDI Amerasinghe 1 7.0 2 31 0 - - 4.42 - 0 0 0 TM Dilshan 3 17.0 0 77 0 - - 4.52 - 0 1 0 SL Malinga 2 17.0 1 86 0 - - 5.05 - 0 0 0 CRD Fernando 2 17.0 1 91 5 3/20 18.20 5.35 20.4 0 1 0 MF Maharoof 3 26.5 1 155 6 3/65 25.83 5.77 26.8 0 0 0 ST Jayasuriya 2 10.0 0 62 0 - - 6.20 - 0 0 0 CM Bandara 2 20.0 1 125 4 3/56 31.25 6.25 30.0 0 3 0 PDRL Perera 1 10.0 2 67 0 - - 6.70 - 0 0 0 cricket Is Inzamam being made the scapegoat? Why is a committee not formed when a team does well and tributes are paid to those who performed well? At last the nation has come to know about the 'causes' of the Pakistan cricket team's disgraceful exit from the recent World Cup in the Caribbean as the Performance Evaluation Committee (PEC) submitted its report after a "thorough" investigation into the debacle. Keeping aside the findings let's first look into the composition of the committee |
five new players, who had not got a chance in the first two games, took the
field -- the outcome of the series could have been even more convincing.
Pakistan team faced criticism from everywhere. The World Cup debacle forced
Inzamam-ul-Haq to resign as captain and from One-day Internationals. Shoaib
Malik was given the responsibility to lead the national side and he guided
his team to a series win in his first assignment.